North Wales discover potential opponents in the Uefa Regions Cup
The draw has been made for the intermediate round of the 2024/25 UEFA Regions’ Cup.
The unique amateur tournament, which has been running for more than 20 years and features players who have never competed at any professional level, sees European associations select regional sides to compete against each other.
The FAW is represented by Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru, made up of players from the second tier and below of Welsh domestic football. They have been drawn in a group with the RAT (Regional Amateur Teams) from Serbia, Slovakia and North Macedonia.
At the end of this season, current Guilsfield boss Nathan Leonard will select and manage a North Wales side, while current Trefelin manager Andy Hill will be his opposite number for a South Wales squad, for a pair of play-off fixtures. The winning team will become Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru for the intermediate round of the 2024-25 UEFA Regions’ Cup.
All matches in Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru’s intermediate round group will be hosted by one country in the group, which is to be confirmed. The dates of the fixtures are also to be confirmed, but competition rules state they must be played before 6 December 2024.
The eight intermediate round group winners will qualify for the finals – to be held, in principle, in the first two weeks of either June or July 2025 and hosted by one of the qualifiers.
Lower level area associations used to represent Wales in this tournament, but that all changed in 2019 when the FAW decided selection would involve Tier 2 Cymru North/South players downwards.
Cymru North earned the right to represent Wales in the 2022/23 Uefa Regions Cup after beating Cymru South 4-2 in a dramatic play-off, Liam Morris, Jamie Cumming, Dylan Allshorn and Jake Cooke sharing the goals.
Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru played their Intermediate Round matches in Northern Ireland in 2022 and finished second of four in their group, beating Eastern Region 3-2 and Gothenburg 8-0, but just missing out on progressing to the Final Tournament after losing 3-2 to Zlin of the Czech Republic.
Rhys Alun Williams was TRC’s top-scorer in the Intermediate Round with four goals.